Clutch plate



H. NUTT CLUTCH PLATE Dec. 20, 1938.

Filed April 17, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Urn-mm Dec.'20, 1938. H, NUTT2,141,014

CLUTCH PLATE File d Afiril 17, 1936 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 V I" in PatentedDec. 20, 1938 a I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLUTCH PLATE Harold Nutt,Chicago, Ill., assignor to Borg-Warner Corporation, Chicago, 111., acorporation of Illinois Application April 17, 1936, Serial No. 74,878 12Claims. (Cl. 192--68) h This invention relates to improvements in toprovide torsional resiliency in the driving conclutch plates, and moreparticularly to friction nection thus established therebetween.

clutch plates of the type wherein means are pro- The hub 2- may beformed with splines 5 for vided in the clutch plateassembly for thedampengagement with the transmission shaft, and is ening of vibration.preferably formed with an integral flange 6 to 5 Numerous torsionaldampening means have which the inner peripheral portion of the cushionbeen proposed for use in the driven plate assemassembly may be secured,as by rivets. bly of motor vehicle friction clutches in the past Thefriction facing assembly 3 may comprise and many have operatedsuccessfully to reduce a steel plate I mounted concentrically with the10 or eliminate the noises due to vibration of the hub member 2 and inparallel relationship with 10 torque transmitting parts of the vehiclepower the flange 6. Annular friction facings 8 may be transmissiondrive. fixed, as by rivets 9, to the opposite sides of the It is anobject of my present invention to proouter peripheral portion of theplate I. If devide an improved clutch plate for such clutches, siredthis portion of the plate 1 may be radially 1 5 having a torsionaldampener which is extremely slotted as indicated at H to increase theflexisimple in construction and in which the entire bility of the plateand to divide the facing supdampener assembly may be manufactured andporting portions thereof into sectors. The cirincorporated in the clutchplate at lower cost cular opening l2 in the center of the plate I isthan those heretofore proposed. preferably formed with a diameterslightly Another object is to-provide an improved clutch greater thanthe outside diameter of the hub 20 plate having a torsional dampenerassembly havflange 6. Aring or collar 13, of greater thickness ingrelatively highv torque transmitting capacity, than the plate I, may beinterposed between the but which occupies a relatively small space.adjacent Wall of the hub and the wall of the A further object is toprovide an improved plate opening l2, at one side of the hub flangeclutch plate having a torsional dampener where- 6, thus to centrallylocate the plate about the 25 in accidental displacement of the dampeneraxis of the hub- 2. parts, as during operation, cannot occur. Thetorsional dampener cushion assembly 4 is A further object is to providean improved preferably formed of a plurality of annular steel clutchplate of the torsional dampener type cushion discs l5 having a pluralityof slots i6 which though possessed of relatively high torquestampedtherein forming convoluted spoke por- 30 transmitting characteristics,presents the proper tions l'l between the inner and outer peripheralresiliency for efiicient dampening during the portions 18 and I9,respectively. I have illustransmission of torque therethrough. trated inFig. 3 one such stamping in which the Other objects, the advantages anduses, of the spoke portions I! are formed by punching subinvention willbecome apparent after reading the stantially S-shaped slots through theintermedi- 35 following specification and claims, and after conate bodyportion of the cushion thereby producsideration-of the drawings forminga part of the ing spokes which'are substantially S-shaped inspecification, wherein contour. A cushion thus formed possesses ap- Fig.l is a fragmentary elevation of a friction prec'lable torsionalresiliency, Capability to 40 clutch plate constructed in accordance withmy Permit slight relative rotational movement 40 tween the mner andouter peripheral portions invention; 7 I

Fig. 2 is a s ti i along line of the cushion through the edgewlseflexing of of Fig 1' the spokes I1.

' In Figs. 1 and 2 I have illustrated six of the Figs. 3, 4 and 5 arefragmentary elevations of annular cushlon members [5 Which are secured45 modified fprms of the reslhent torsmnal dampat their outer portionsHi to the plate 1, three enel. cuslilons and on each side of the plate,by rivets 2!. The 1s fragmentary elevamon lnustratmg cushion members 15overlap the inner portion PP arrangememf m the assembly of the of theplate I and the rivets 2i are disposed at a ,reslhem dampener P a pointadjacent to the inner edges. of the facings Wlth reference to Flgs- 1and 2, my lmp-roved 8-. The inner portions l8 of the spring cushionsClutch plate m y comprise in general a hub are secured, by rivets 22, tothe flange 6 of the ber'2, a friction facing assembly 3and a torsionalhub 2, three of th cushions being on each side dampening cushionassembly 4 drivinglyintere of the ring l3. Friction rings 24 may bedisposed between the hub and facing assembly, thus posedone on each sideof the plate 1, thus to dampen relative movement between the plate I andthe inner portions of the cushions. The aggregate thickness of thefriction rings 24 and plate 1 may approximate the thickness of the ringl3. Suitable openings 25 and 26 are punched through the cushion membersl5 through which the rivets 2| and 22 respectively may pass.

A clutch plate constructed as herein described comprises a compact unitassembly in which relative rotation between the friction facings 8 andthe hub 2 may take place due to the torsional resiliency of theintermediate torsional dampener assembly 4. Since the cushions l5forming the yielding part of the dampener assembly are rigidly fixed attheir inner and outer portions to the hub flange 6, and plate 1,respectively, any noise which might otherwise occur through vibration ofthe parts, is precluded during clutch operation and accidentaldisplacement of the parts is likewise precluded.

The cushion members l5, of which the laminated dampener assembly isformed, while not only capable of yielding under torsional stress,possess sufiicient lateral flexibility so as to assure perfect alignmentbetween the facings and the cooperating driving parts of a completeclutch assembly. This feature is one notordinarily attributable to thetorsional dampener, per se, of a clutch plate.

Obviously the torque transmitting characteristics of the dampenerassembly may be increased or decreased by changing the number of thecushion stampings I5 comprising the dampener assembly, the relativetorsional resiliency of each cushion member remaining constant. In thepast, such changes in torque-transmitting, characteristics have beencarried out by substituting coil springs of one compression factor forsimilar springs of another compression factor. According to my inventiona single stamping only need be formed, the number used beingdeterminable by torque transmitting requirements.

One of the outstanding features of the clutch plate described herein isthe relatively high torque transmitting characteristic of the torsionaldampener assembly per unit of size. The dampener assembly occupies lessspace than those pro posed and adapted for use in the past to any givenvalue of torque transmitting capacity. This ad vantage is attainedwithout sacrifice of required torsional resiliency.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated another form of the dampener cushionstamping as indicated at 5 This form differs from that illustrated inFig. 3 only by a change in the contour of the slots 55 which are such asto cause an increase in the length of the convoluted spoke portions H.For this purpose the slots l6 present an interlocking relationship, onewith another, so as to cause the spoke portions to double back fromthemselves four times. It is contemplated that this cushion member willprovide a higher degree of resiliency under torsional stress than theone illustrated in Fig. 3, the thickness of the sheets from which thestampings are made being equal. The application of the cushion members[5 to the clutch plate is the same as thatdescribed in connection withFigs. 1 to 3 inclusive.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated another form of the cushion stamping inwhich the spoke members W are formed in the cushion member I5 by theprovision of a plurality of overlapping spiral slots l 6* terminating atopposite ends in the inner and outer peripheral portions l8 and l9respectively of the stamping, at points circumferentially displaced.This type of cushion member is capable of transmitting relatively hightorque and may be formed by relatively simple dies.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated a modified arrangement of assembly of thecushion members l5 relative to the hub and facing plate. Instead ofplacing the several cushion stampings [5 with their spokes I! inregister one with another, alternate cushion members are arranged withtheir spokes staggered, thus to distribute with greater uniformity thetransmission of torque from the facing supporting assembly to the hub.For this purpose the openings 25 and 26 on certain of the cushionmembers 15 are shifted circumferentially to align with the openings 25and 26 in the adjacent plate. For purpose of illustration I haveindicated in dotted lines in 'Fig. 4 the position of such shiftedopenings on it is apparent that many changes in contour and arrangementof the cushion spokes and disposition of the parts forming the dampenercushion lamination may be carried out without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A clutch plate comprising, a hub, a friction facing assembly disposedconcentrically about the axis of said hub, and an annular resilientcushion interposed between said hub and said friction facing assemblyand arranged yieldingly to transmit torque therebetween, said cushionbeing formed of relatively thin fiat and yieldable metal stampingshaving slots therethrough whereby to provide a plurality of spokeportions extending from the inner peripheral portion of the annularcushion to the outer peripheral portion thereof, said spoke portionshaving such circumferential yieldability as to constitute said cushion atorsional vibration dampener.

2. A clutch plate comprising, a hub, a friction facing assembly disposedconcentrically about the axis of said hub, and an annular resilientcushion interposed between said hub and said friction facing assemblyand arranged yieldingly to transmit torque therebetween, said cushionbeing formed of yieldable sheet metal and having slots therethroughwhereby to provide a plurality of spoke portions extending from theinner peripheral portion of the annular cushion to the outer peripheralportion thereof, thus to provide torsional resiliencyysaid spokeportions having such circumferential yieldability as to constitute saidcushion a torsional vibration dampener.

3. A clutch plate comprising, a hub, a friction facing assembly disposedconcentrically about the axis of said hub, and an annular resilientcushion interposed between said hub and said friction facing assemblyand arranged yieldingly to transmit torque therebetween, said cushioncomprising a plurality of annular fiat sheet steel stampings each havingrelatively narrow slots therethrough forming a plurality of non-radiallydisposed spoke portions extending between the inner and outer'peripheralportions of said stampings.

4. A clutch plate comprising, a hub, a friction facing assembly disposedconcentrically about.

' friction facing assembly and arranged yieldingly to transmit torquetherebetween, said cushion comprising a plurality of fiat steelstampings each having convoluted spoke portions connecting the inner andouter peripheral portions thereof.

5. A clutch plate comprising, a hub, a friction facing assemblydisposed. concentrically about the axis of said hub, and torsionaldampening means interposed between said facing assembly and said hub,said means comp-rising a plurality of annular metal cushions each fixedat its inner and outer peripheral portions to said hub and said facingassembly respectively, the intermediate portions of each of saidcushions having the form of relatively narrow, closely spacednon-radially disposed spokes.

6. A clutch plate comprising, a hub, a friction facing assembly disposedconcentrically about the axis of said hub, and torsional dampening meansinterposed between said facing assembly and said hub, said meanscomprising a plurality of annular metal cushions each fixed at its innerand outer peripheral portions to said hub and said facing assemblyrespectively, the intermediate portions of each of said cushions havingthe form of convoluted spokes.

'7. A clutch plate comprising, a hub, a. friction facing assemblydisposed concentrically about the axis of said hub, and torsionaldampening means interposed between said facing assembly and said hub,said means comprising a plurality of relatively thin fiat annular metalcushions each fixed at its inner and outer peripheral portions to saidhub and said facing assembly respectively, the intermediate portions ofeach of said cushions having the form of relatively narrow, closelyspaced non-radially disposed spokes, the spokes. of certain of saidcushions being staggered with respect to the spokes of certain other ofsaid cushions.

8. A clutch element comprising a. hub, a friction facing assemblyincluding spaced friction facings and an annular mounting member onwhich said facings are mounted, said mounting member projecting radiallyinwardly of the inner radial extremities of said facings, and torsionaldampening means interposed between said hub and said mounting member,said dampening means comprising fiat annular cushions of stamped springsheet metal receiving said mounting member between them and each havingits inner and outer peripheral regions secured to said hub and mountingmember respectively, the intermediate regions of said cushionscomprising circumferentially yieldable spokes.

9. A clutch element comprising a hub, a friction facing assemblyincluding spaced friction facings and mounting means on which saidfacings are carried, said mounting means extending radially inwardly ofthe inner radial extremities of said friction facings, and torsionaldampening means interposed between said hub and said mounting means,said dampening means comprising flat annular cushions of stamped springsheet metal receiving said mounting means between them and each havingits inner and outer peripheral regions secured to said hub and mountingmeans respectively, the intermediate regions of said cushions comprisingcircumferentially yieldable spokes.

10. A clutch element comprising a hub, a friction facing assemblyincluding spaced friction facings and mounting means on which saidfacings are carried, said mounting means extending radially inwardly ofthe inner radial extremities ofsaid friction facings substantially tothe hub, and torsional dampening means interposed between said hub andsaid mounting means, said dampening means comprising flat annularcushions of stamped spring sheet metal receiving said mounting meansbetween them and each having its inner and outer peripheral regionssecured to said hub and mounting means respectively, the intermediateregions of said cushions comprising circumferentially yieldable spokes.

11. A clutch plate comprising a hub, a friction facing assembly disposedconcentrically about the axis of said hub, and torsional dampening meanscomprising an annular resilient cushion interposed between said hub andsaid friction facing assembly and arranged to yieldingly transmit torquetherebetween, said cushion comprising a plurality of spring sheet metalstampings having relatively narrow slots therethrough forming aplurality of relatively narrow circumferentially yieldable spokeportions extending from the radially inner to the radially outer regionof the cushion.

12. A clutch plate comprising a hub, a friction facing assembly disposedconcentrically about the axis of said hub, and torsional dampening meanscomp-rising an annular resilient cushion interposed between said hub andsaid friction facing assembly and arranged to yieldingly transmit torquetherebetween, said cushion comprising a plurality of spring sheet metalstampings having continuous annular regions at its inner and outerradial extremities and formed with a plurality of circumferentiallyyieldable spoke portions connecting said inner and outer regions.

HAROLD NUTT.

